Dozens of Benton County 4-H Ambassadors gathered for a night of competition and acitivity recently, all centered around a non-lit campfire due to high winds and dry conditions.

“I organized some activities for the 4-H Ambassador Night over MEA at my place in Becker,” said Ann Olson, 4-H Extension Educator for Benton County 4-H. “I am never sure what the ambassadors will think of the activities or if they will enjoy them. However, I realized early into the evening that I hadn’t considered the degree of competitiveness the youth would have.”

After a couple of icebreakers, the 33 ambassadors got to know each other then prepped for some fun competition. 

The youth competed in groups of 3-5 for a pumpkin challenge. Each group needed to create a team name/banner, design/decorate a pumpkin, name the pumpkin, give its characteristics, and share a day in the pumpkin’s life. They used paints, permanent markers, foam, yarn, tissue, puffy paint, buttons, leaves, tree branches, feathers, pipe cleaners, mason jar lids, glue guns, duct tape, and before we knew it, they had both of Ann’s hairdryers running to dry the layers of paint. 

Each team member headed up a different part of the challenge, and the creativity was soaring. The ambassadors took a short break to eat and sit around the campfire, but right after eating, they returned to work on their challenge.

“I enjoyed the ambassador night because of the activities and the people there,” said 4-H Ambassador River Ferkinhoff, a 10th grader from Clearwater. “The best part was decorating the pumpkins and making a story for them. It was a lot of fun, and I made new friends.”

River was on the “Silly Cylinders” team with their pumpkin, the Nerdy Noodle.

After all the groups finished their pumpkin challenge, the judges (adult volunteers) began the judging. This allowed the ambassadors to compete again in a flashlight scavenger hunt on the trails in the woods on the property. Each group had to use flashlights to find 11 items on the trails. There was lots of yelling, screaming, and ambassadors’ lights shining everywhere through the darkness. 

The first group that returned successfully was the team “Dave’s Favs,” which included 4-H Ambassadors Hailey Dahler, Stacey Dahler, Kim Dahler, Emma Kaschmitter, and Sophia Beauchamp. One group struggled to find one of their items, but another 4-H’er found it for them. 

The ambassadors then took some time for a short meeting to chat a little about upcoming events, and then it was time to hear the results of the pumpkin challenge judging. The teams were anxious to listen to the results. The scores were pretty close, and judges commented that judging was difficult. 

Team scores included a triple tie for fourth and a tie for third. The winners of the Pumpkin Challenge were beyond eager, and excitement filled the air as the team “4-H Sluggers” with Booner the Buck won with a score of 93 out of 100. The Sluggers team included Cade Barringer, Hudson Kleine, Drew Arnold, Kolben Pozorski, and Brad Dahler.

 The ambassadors spent the rest of the evening visiting around the campfire. 

“Sitting around the campfire and being able to talk with other 4-H ambassadors was fun, and also, the pumpkin activity was enjoyable,” said 4-H Ambassador Maggie Schneider, a ninth grader from Foley. “I think it’s important to do these events so that we are not only able to connect with 4-H’ers from other clubs but also because they are fun and help us to relax and possibly unwind a little. It is also important that we learn to do new things, like meeting new people and getting experienced in those types of social interactions.”

Without the adult volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible to host these events. 

“I think the ambassador night is a great way for all the 4-H ambassadors to bond, relax, and have fun,” said said 4-H adult volunteer Kayla Manea from Sauk Rapids. “It’s a great way for them to start the year,” 

“They all enjoy challenges and are competitive. The whole night was filled with laughter and kids being kids. A night for them to remember.”

To learn about the 4-H Ambassador program, please contact the 4-H Extension Office 320.968.5077.